The Superstition of Fandom

Written by J.R. Shepperd


     No! Nothing you can do will affect the outcome of the game. (Unless you were able to hit Tom Brady in the face with a snowball.)  But alas, you are sitting at home, watching the game on FOX.  Suffering through the indignity of Terry Bradshaw's jokes. Yet refusing to take off that old Ahman Green jersey,

Not Brady, but have to appreciate the porn-stache.

because every time you wear it, the Packers seem to win! But why is that?  Where did this irrational thinking come from? Your not the only one my friend. There are hundreds of thousands of fans that think the same way you do (myself included).  But the real question is WHY do we think this way. There are a few possibility's we should explore. (And no, you're not crazy)


     1. You grew up with a superstitious family.
My grandmother, God rest her soul, had an old-wives tale for every situation imaginable. "If the cows are huddled together in the corner of the field, it means a storm is coming". I don't know if that has ever held any weight. I've never stuck around long enough to see if the cows got rained on.   How could a person growing up hearing old-wives tales every day, not grow up to think "If I don't walk in a circle backwards three times, my Jags will lose." Now when I said I am superstitious, I wasn't kidding.  Last year (2011) when the 49ers seemed to set the world on fire.  I refused to wash my Vernon Davis jersey and wore it every game day.  Also I would not wear ANY jersey on a bye week.  I've got pics of me in Oakland, on game day rocking the Niner pride. (got some nasty looks those 2 Sundays)

    

     2.  The players do it.  We've all seen (or had) a playoff beard.  For those of you unfamiliar with the playoff beard, allow me to elaborate.  When a team enters the post season, the superstitious players will refuse to shave until they either win the championship or they are eliminated.  Those of us familiar with the beard, see it and follow suit in hopes that it will make lady luck smile just a bit. But that is just one small example. Brian Urlacher has to eat two chocolate chip cookies before every game. Still not that odd. Lets get find some "heavy hitters", Mr Wade Boggs.  He would eat chicken before EVERY game.  Which earned him the name "Chicken Man". Wade woke up at the same time every day, took exactly 150 ground balls in practice. Had to be at batting practice at 5:17, and ran sprints at 7:17. He drew the Hebrew word for "life", in the batter's box with his bat while on deck. (He isn't Jewish). He also asked Fenway Park P.A. announcer Sherm Feller not to say his uniform number when introducing him. Boggs broke out of a slump one day when Feller forgot to announce his number. If it's good enough for Boggs, it's good enough for me.

Dave, I've never felt this way about a man before...

      3. "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" If by coincidence, you eat Famous Dave's BBQ rib tips before every game, and your team happens to win.  Eventually, you will take notice of this and will those mouth watering rib tips become part of your Sunday ritual. So much so, you will have an overwhelming feeling of despair if you fail to complete your ritual.  Or we get back to our Ahman Green jersey.  Perhaps it is your favorite jersey, or your shiny new Aaron Rodgers jersey hasn't shown up yet.  Whatever the reason, you wear that jersey and the Pack seem to dominate.  I can't blame you for not wanting to change, even when that Rodgers jersey shows up at your door.

Now those are some of the more the mild superstitions. There are some real nut jobs out there that use voodoo dolls and sacrifice chickens while wearing bras on their head. 

See! I told you I was a D cup!

If you decide you need to go this far, more power to you. Just remember, the chickens at Safeway come pre-cut and de-feathered. And it will prevent the A.S.P.C.A. from kicking your door in. That little tidbit may buy you a few more minutes to watch the game.  

But no matter what ritual you have, or why you have it.  It boils down to one thing, it helps you feel connected to your team no matter what the distance is.  On some strange level, when you finish your seventh helping of those succulent, perfectly seasoned rib tips, Clay Matthews just happened to recover a fumble for a touchdown.  Would he have recovered it with out those ribs? Who cares! You do your thing, and let your freak flag fly!

These aren't the droids your looking for... But this is the fantasy football advice you need!



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